Automatic lubricator.



'5. RUEGGER.

AUTOMATIC LUBRICATOR. APPLICATION FILED APR.28. 1914.

PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

Witnsses invento www A! y stored the excess UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDUARD RUEGGER, OF ZURICH,

SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 CORPORATION OF SWITZERLAND.

ESCI-IER, WYSS & CO., A

AUTOMATIC LUBRICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

has particular reference to an automatic cirl culating lubricating system particularly intended for compressors, but capable of being used in other relations where 'there is an available supply of compressed air.

The inventionis herein shown applied to an air compressor wherein the lubricating oil is automatically elevated by the compressed air from a reservoir to a receiving chamber. In the receiving chamber, the oil separates from the air, permitting the compressed air to be distributed where desired, and the oil to feed by gravity to the various bearings. The. elevated receiving chamber is herein shown as comprising two parts, the upper of which contains a xed quantity of oil andoverliows by gravity into a second part of the chamber, in which latter part is oil in the system. From the various bearings, the oil returns by conduits to the reservoir, .to be again elevated and circulated by thel compressed air. Where air is referred to, it will be understood that any other compressed gas is included, since the feature of the invention is the elevation of oil from a reservoir to adistributing chamber directly by the compressed air.

In the accompanying drawings, Figur-e1 is a sectional elevation of one form of the invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation at right angles thereto on Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on the line C-D of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4t is an eleva. tion in section similar to Fig. 1, of a slightly modified form:

1 represents a driving shaft having4 a stuffing box 2 and a crank pin 3 which actuates a piston 4 in an oscillating compressor cylinder 5, which is pivotcd to the casing on trunnions 22, the axis of which is indicated by the line (SMG. The air inlet is through port 12 in thc casing to chamber 11, thence by ports 7, i) in thf casing and ports 8, 10 in the cylinder 5 to opposite sides of the piston L These ports are properly Application led April 28, 1914.

standing still to the line A-B ofl Serial No. 834,881.

opened and closed by the oscillation of the cylinder 5. The compressed air is discharged from above the piston 4: through cylinder port 13, which is closed against admission of air by asmalllap valve 13, and air is discharged from the lower side of piston a through asimilar port 14 controlled by a flap valve 14a. These ports and valves open into a compressed air chamber 15, and the bottom of this chamber constitutes an oil reservoir as seen in Fig. 2. vT he chamber 1 15 is closed, and the only opening therefrom is by vertical pipe 16', which opens upwardly into a'receiving and separating chamber 17. The lower end of the pipe 16 is so placed as to be above the oil level in chamber 15, and

the compressed air discharged in chamber 15' passes upwardly through pipejl and simultaneously carries with it any oil above the lower end 0f pipe 16. That is, the mixed oil and air pass upwardly through pipe 16 as long as the oil is in contact with the lower end of pipe 16. Thus, -a constantlevel of oil is maintained in chamber 15 as determined by the lower endV of the pipe. The chamber 17 is composed of two parts 17a, andv 17 b. The upper part 17 receives the oil which drops as vsoon as it leaves the tube 16, and forms apool which feeds by gravity down into chamber 17b by flowing over the bearing of shaftil. At the same time this oil passes through hole 21 and lubricates the shaft 1. The oil in chamber 17b lubricates. thetrunnions 22 of the compressor cylinder 5.

In assembling the machine, lubricating oil' is poured in chamber 15, whichaccumulates around cylinder' 5 and while the` machine is about the height of line I-I in Fig. 2. Its level is equal to z. above the lower opening of pipe 16. When the machine isstarted and produces sufficient air pressure in chamber15 above the oil surface, the oil is thus forced up through pipe 16 into the upper chamber 17. It accumulates first at 17a to the height II-II, and then flows over the upper edge of the bearing 2() as shown in Fig. 3. The level of oil IlIIII in chamber 17b is determined by the initial amount of oil poured in, or thcamount of oil remaining if the machine has been run will. be observed that chambers are both parts of thel same chamber.

17 Y and 17" From Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

the distance for some time. It

4Q l slight head which increases the'lubrication.

l rof shaft 1, from which a thebearings thegoil runs to the chamber 15,. andthe oil level ried by'means of oil holev21 the upper chamber 17, the oil will be carto the journal willv gravity and centrifugal force to the edgeof the crank diskv and pin 3 and thence by' gravity to the piston rod and piston.. The

ow of the oil may, of course, be aided by 4 pulls thelcil along through pipe 16 to chamber 17 as before described, m which latter4 chamber the oil precipitates, because of its greater weight and separates from the air. The level in chamber 1-7" will vary with the amount of oil in the system, and

' consequently chamber 17 b constitutes an oil cate pivots 22.

. reserve chamber. The machine may be run without the addition of oil as long as the level in chamber 17 is high enough to lubri- It is to be noted that the pressure-in cham;

ber is not affected by the-head of pipe 16, f

since innormal operation, the pipe does not contain a homogeneouscolumn of liquid, but simply an atomized mixture of oil and air,

' which has a pulsating'movement due to the cylind!` are inverted, so that while the ma-A reciprocating piston 4, The oil' is thus pulledalong by the air pressure.

In Fig. 4, he driving crank shaftand chine'i'sIl at rest the liquid level is higher andprevents escape air. Also, there is a AIn' this form, the liquid levels in .cha'nribers 15, l1 7 and 17- correspond to those previously described.

Various modifications and changesiin the specific construction herein'shown may bemade Without departing from the scope of the appended claims, 1t being understood fthat the invention in its broad aspect is not restricted to the particular form of compresser" herein shown, as the oil circulating system can be operated by any other suit-- able source of compressed air;

An advantage of the presentuarrangement resides in its compactness, and simplicity of parts, -the oil being automatically pumped by air pressure without additional oil pumps, valves, or the like.

vHaving thus described my invention, what I declare as new and desire to secure by Letters Patint ofthe United States.is:-

1. The combination witha compressor, of

a discharge chamber containing an oil reservo1r,7a second chamber above sald .first chamber and 011 lreservolrf'and '611 and gas spread by and the stuffing box,

nectingsaid reservoir and said ch conveying means opening vertically between the top and bottom surfaces of said first chamber connecting said chambers.

2. The combination withacompressor, of.

.70. -ervo1r, a second chamber abovesaid first.

a discharge chamber containing an'oil reschamber and oil reservoir, means opening vertically between the top andbottom oil and gas from said iirst to'said seco chamber. 1

3. Thel combination with a compressor, of

a casing surrounding the same and comprising chamber and an `oil and gas conveying means connectlng sald chambers. 1

.511?" faces of said first chamber for conveyin ing a lower oil reservoir, an upper separat?.

4'. The combinationvvith a source o f com? pressed air, of an oil reservolr subject to] said pressure, means for supplying oil '-t'f'vf' said reservolr, and a pipe connecting I-Sadl reservoir and said chamber and'opening into' said reservoir, a separating chamber labove said reservoir above the bottom and below the top thereof.

5. The combination with a compressor, of' a compression chamber 'connected therewith and containing an oil reservoir, an upper,

Said' reservoir-sa by gravityf chamber receivmg oil from and allowing. said oil to How over parts to be lubricated.

6. he combination with a source of com.

vpressed air, of an oil reservoir subject'ftov said pressure, means for supplying oilto said reservoir, a constant levell aeparatipg1- I Mylan and opening into said reservoir and saidchams .ber above the respective bottoms thereof.

chamber above said reservoir, a'lpi necting said reservolr and sald cham 7. The combination with a. source of comif pressed air, of an oil reservoir subject to said' pressure, means for supplying oil to --said reservoir, a constant levell separating chamber above said reservoir, a pip: conam` r and openmginto said reservoir. above the bottom thereof, and' means for maintaining the oil level in 'said c :hamberbelow the top of said pipe.

8. he combination with a source of compressedair, of an oil reservoir subject to' said pressure, means for supplying oil to said reservoir, a constant level separatin chamber above' said reservoir, `an\oil' and, lair carrying pipe connecting saidl reservoir and said chamber, 'and means for sep arately discharging Aoil and vcompressed@air fromsaid chamber.

9. The combination'with an oil-reservoil and means for applying pressure thereto,

-an oil feeding 'p ipe, extending upwardly from said reservoir, a separating chamber" containing the upper endof said pipe, andstoring excessoil, ajbearingconnected tobe supplied by gravity from said chamber, and f to discharge into said rst reservoir.

' air pressure, a bearing connected to he supplied by gravity from said chamber, and to discharge into said constant level reservoir.

l1. The combination withacompressoiyof a 'compression chamber containing an oil reservoir for oil lunder pressure, an upper chamber and a conduit connecting the two chambers and dipping downwardly into the reservoir hut out of contact therewith.

12. The combination with an air compressor, of lubricating means` comprising an oil reservoir open to pressure from said compressor, an upwardly extending air and oil pipe leading therefrom, a two part chamber for 'separating oil and air communicating with the upper end of said pipe, one part having a constant level, and the other part being supplied from said first part and storing excess oil, an oil passage from said chamber to a bearing or bearings of said com presser.

In testimony whereof l aix my signature, in presence o'f two witnesses.

' EDUARD RUEGGER. Witnesses:

HANS GUYN-BUNDER, CARL GUBEN. 

